What I liked
What I like most about this play is that those I came with talked about it for hours after; over a meal, in the car, we couldn’t put it down, couldn’t stop asking “what was real” and what the ending reveals about the beginning. Andre and JC are truly working off of each other. This is so hard to do. The dialogue of the play facilitates them being present, which is also … so hard to do.
I am also impressed that in each moment, the team chose love over disagreement. Even when the characters disagreed, there was evident love between them. If there is no love, there is reason to sustain a disagreement. Rush created a truly challenging play that was met by each artist (not least of all the team behind the magic trick!) with a sincere groundedness in the love underlying each moment and each character.
What I didn't like
N/A
My overall impression
WHITE LILIES is a powerful, highly-intellectual and emotional drama that packs a punch. Rush’s instincts for what makes a story “a play” are here in every layer: two-person, moment-to-moment work; spectacle and magic; and intricate staging choices that dramaturgically affect both moment-to-moment work and magic. I highly recommend this play, and wish that this team soars high. If the Fringe festival is intended to be a place to take risks, WHITE LILIES – superbly acted and crafted – is a true example of what is intended and possible.
